Tarnished Mirrors
by HebrewPrincess91
Summary: Mirrors series. Jango oversees the training of the clones on Kamino and works to make them into a truly grand army. As the troopers near the end of their training they look towards the day when their skills will be put to use. Features Original Characters. Set one year prior to Episode II. Canon compliant.
1. ARMOR DAY

"Again!" Jango Fett commanded.

Looker rolled to his feet. It was Armor Day. All the clones in his unit were in armor for the very first time. The obstacle course he had run flawlessly just the day before had suddenly become insurmountable. This was his third attempt, and the third failure.

Looker and the others went back to the beginning. Every time they failed they had to start over from square one. So far, each time they had run the course they had made more progress than the time before. Clones were nothing if not adaptable.

Jango Fett was overseeing the training of this unit. Known as the First One Hundred they were the lucky ones who got to do everything for the first time, all under the watchful eye of the clone template.

Fully armored, Jango paced in front of the group. "You've got to stop working against your armor. Let it work for you. You're not doing yourself any favors by fighting it."

"Yes, sir." The clones chorused.

"Now tell me, what have you learned so far?"

A number of the men held up their right hand in fist, indicating they wished to speak if called upon. Jango gestured to one of them known as Scooch. "My range of movement is impeded."

Other troopers were called upon in turn, each giving a different observation.

"My peripheral vision is shot." said Ringer.

"I can't feel anything, there's no sense of touch." said Thunder.

"I'm clumsy," said Hype. Some of the other clones chuckled at this. "Well, clumsier than usual." He amended.

"My head is taller with this helmet, and I keep bumping into things." said Mettle, the unit commander. All the clones nodded at this.

Jango passed a hand over the dome of his own helmet. "You learn to manage the, ah, clearance issues. Now, what advantages have you found, and how will you capitalize on them?"

More hands went up. "Better grip." said Tatters.

"No glare from the lights." said SNAFU.

"It didn't hurt as much when I fell." said Cut.

Unexpectedly, Jango seized Looker, who was the nearest to him, and violently headbutted him. Their helmets crashed together with a resounding clank. Jango released the clone; Looker stepped back a little surprised, but unharmed. Raising a finger Jango said emphatically, "Never forget that your armor is also a weapon. Now run the O Course again."

The men went back to the course. This time went better. Not only were they getting used to their armor, but they were beginning to see how they could use it for their advantage. The door to the obstacle course room opened, and Boba slipped in, moving to stand by his dad. Jango glanced down at his son, the child could be hard to read sometimes. Boba stood, watching the clones tackle the course. Jango said, "Everything okay?"

Boba nodded. "I wanted to see Armor Day. The others were just doing target practice again." After a moment of watching he remarked, "They're not very good."

"They're better than they were. They'll get it soon enough."

Another moment passed as Boba observed them. "Will I get armor too?"

Jango eyed his son. "Not like the troopers. One day, soon enough, you'll get your very own Mandalorian armor."

"When?"

Jango lifted Boba's arm to check the length of the sleeve on his wrist. "When you stop growing so fast."

Boba turned to look at his father, a little exasperated. "But Dad, I don't grow fast. I'm the only nine year old who is still a kid. Even the five year old clones are bigger than me."

That was a fact that was hard on Boba. Jango and Boba didn't always stay on Kamino, but when they did Boba would sometimes fall in with a clone unit and participate in the various training. Still, even if Boba was in a unit of clones his size, in just a month or two they would all be noticeably bigger and more advanced than him because of their accelerated growth. "You'll be grown up soon enough."

Seeing that the clones were coming to the end of the course, Jango thought he'd switch things up a bit. "Watch this," he said, handing Boba a pair of night-vision binoculars. He moved to the wall panel and called to the clone troopers, "Again, lights out!" Punching the lights and turning on his infrared heads up display he watched as the clones attempted to run the course in reverse in the dark.

There was a loud thump and some swearing as Hype fell off the first obstacle. Boba giggled at the colourful choice of words Hype picked. Jango watched, amused, yet proud, as the clones retraced their steps towards his position. He stood, arms crossed over his chest, as the troopers made their way back through the course. When they finally reached him, Jango turned and faced Commander Mettle, "Again."


	2. SNIPER TRAINING

Clones grew at an accelerated rate, and their training was accelerated right along with it. Two days later a squad from the First One Hundred were situated on a ledge with Jango. Boba had come along today, he was perched behind everyone, and keeping quiet and out of the way. Boba was generally a quiet kid, so it was never an issue of distraction. Looker was laying prone as he adjusted his sights. He and the others in the squad had all trained with the weapons before, but using the sniper rifles was a bit different once helmets were involved. The simulations were never quite good enough to prepare for the real deal.

Jango was running the snipers through the basics. Sniping was about a lot more than just shooting. "Now, you boys have been done plenty of target practice, but sniping is the real deal. It's not just hitting what you shoot at, it's also about being unobserved, and picking the right spot. A sniper's no good if he gives away his position, or can be easily avoided."

Looker let the words sink in. For now they were just working on accuracy, but they would be doing more intense training soon enough. The targets were released into the training room, they were working at a distance of 1500 meters. The pressure was on, time to show what they were capable of.

Boba sat in awe as the clones took their shots. The targets seemed to be so far away, yet these troopers hit the targets with astounding accuracy. The one called Looker was exceptionally good.

* * *

Later in the day they were in a training room with simulated terrain. The men had been given simulation weapons, and were set loose against each other. Looker army crawled along a ridge with a small amount of cover. Going up against a target was one thing, going against an adaptable, thinking person was another.

Looker found his spot. Setting up his gun he adjusted his sights and began sweeping the room. Spotting movement he began picking off his squad mates one by one. A practice bolt seared by him. Time to move.

He gathered up his weapon and scrabbled along the ridge. Sliding down the incline he rolled into a new position. There was more cover, but less visibility. Setting up again, he reoriented himself and began to sweep for the rest of the squad.

Boba and Jango were watching from an observation room. The troopers were doing well, Jango could tell they would be fully trained and ready to go very soon. It was a little strange to watch nine year old men fully equipped as soldiers. Jango tried not to think about it too hard. He saw that Boba was fascinated with the sniper training. He had been transfixed by it all day.

Boba gazed at the observation screen. "Dad?"

"Yes, son?"

"Will I ever be able to shoot like that?"

"Anything those men can do, Boba, you will be able to do as well." Jango couldn't help but feeling a little proud at the prowess demonstrated by the clones. They represented everything he was capable of; he was the prototype of the perfect soldier.

He saw the man called Looker change position for the fourth time. He certainly knew how to keep on the move, even it he still didn't know how to pick a good sniping spot. "Tell me Boba, where would be a better place for Looker to have picked? And what's wrong about the spot he's in?" Even if Boba wouldn't be ready for full sniper training until he was at least a little taller, he could always start thinking like a sniper now.

Boba enjoyed the challenge, and began rattling off what he knew about good spots for camouflage. With a little guidance from Jango, Boba soon began to identify which clones were doing better based off of their strategy for position and cover. Jango was pleased that Boba did so well. He wanted to pass on to his son more than a matched set of genetics, he wanted to give his son everything he had and everything he knew.

Boba's observations were cut short as a practice bolt lanced across the training room. Looker, the last save one, was marked as hit. As good as Looker was, Commander Mettle had better sense for cover and vantage point. Commander Mettle stood and rallied the others to him. The clones picked themselves up from their various positions and headed for the debrief room.


	3. DOWN TIME

The mess hall was filled with clones as they took a break from their daily training and came for their midday sustenance. The clones of the First One Hundred were dining after their grueling first week in armor.

"When do you think it'll happen?" said Cut.

Scooch rolled his eyes at the obvious conversation hook. "When do we think what will happen?"

"Deployment." Cut replied. "When do you think we'll get to use everything we've been learning? At this rate, we'll be fully trained in a few more weeks."

"Maybe." said Hype, doubtfully.

SNAFU punched Hype's arm playfully. "Some of us might take more than a few weeks of training to be ready."

The others chuckled. "I'm serious." said Cut. "We're at the brink of being one of the largest, best trained, best equipped armies in the galaxy. It must mean that we'll be deployed in the near future."

"That's not really your place to worry about." Commander Mettle chipped in. "We just do what we're told."

The others nodded. All of their training relied on obedience to authority. Otherwise, order would disintegrate, and unit cohesion would fall apart.

"It would still be nice to know." muttered Cut, but he didn't take it any further.

Jango sat in a corner of the hall. He occasionally like to watch how the clones interacted with each other outside of training situations. Dressed in a simple blue tunic, he was hardly visible among so many with his face. Only his age and scars betrayed any difference.

Nodding in Jango's direction, Hype said, "What do you think Stencil thinks of us? I've always wondered."

"I think Stencil likes us." Looker said. "He's always pretty nice to us, certainly more friendly than the Kaminoans."

SNAFU jumped in. "I've never really been clear, though, is he a soldier?"

"Must be," said Commander Mettle, "he knows a lot about soldiering, no way he can know that without being a soldier."

"Where's the rest of his army?" said Hype, "I mean, you can't be much of a soldier without an army."

"From what I gather," said Cut, "he doesn't really talk about his past. I don't even know where he's from. You work with him a little more, Commander, do you know anything?"

"The Kaminoans hired him because they thought he would be the best soldier template. That's all I know." Commander Mettle watched as Boba came into the room and looked around, probably looking for the Stencil. The boy looked through several tables of men before he was spotted by Jango and motioned over.

Boba came over to his father. Jango leaned down to kiss him on the head. Boba stiffened but didn't move, groaning under his breath, "Daaad."

Jango cocked an eyebrow."What? You too old for your old man to give you a kiss now?"

Boba's eyes glanced around the room full of clones and muttered, "Others are watching."

Jango glanced around too. He really didn't think anyone else would care, but Boba's objections were understandable. He was growing up, and didn't want to seen as a little kid any longer; it gave Jango a twinge of sadness all the same. Patting his son on the head, he said, "All right, no more public displays of affection, then."

The men at Looker's table had been watching. Looker was the first to voice his thoughts. "I wonder what it's like, having a family."

"A lot of work, by the looks of it." said SNAFU, "Stencil is always having to keep tabs on the kid."

Scooch watched Boba crawl up next to Jango. Jango licked his thumb and used it to scrub something off the side of Boba's face. "Why do you think he'd want a clone of himself for a kid, don't people usually have kids, you know, biologically?"

All the clones at the table considered this for a minute. "Maybe he can't have kids." said Ringer.

"Or, he doesn't know any females." said Tatters.

"Or, he wanted to know exactly what his kid would look like when he grew up." said Thunder.

"So he can trade clothes." Added Cut.

"It's a bit strange though," said Looker, "that Stencil would want a clone, honestly, any one of us could've been that kid. But, we're here, soldiers, and he's there, just doin' whatever."

Commander Mettle put in, "I'm sure Stencil has a good reason for his actions. He don't strike me as the type to act rashly. Whatever you do, though, don't ask him. Now get back to your meal, we have chores to get to."


	4. ADVANCED RECON COMMANDO

In a matter of weeks, the First One Hundred were fully trained. Their aptitude toward their training had helped them excel in the armor phase, and they had shown how quickly the clones were able to adapt to new challenges.

The First One Hundred had been put through their paces. They had overcome every obstacle thrown at them, which included doing every training exercise in the dark. They had good unit cohesion, and their leadership and training was exceptional. Many of them were ready for the added responsibility of training other troopers.

Jango addressed the ones selected for more advanced training and higher leadership. These men he would continue working with, but only for a couple weeks more. They were so close to perfect. "Men, you are close to finishing your training. As soldiers, your skills are complete. You know how to handle weapons, move in formation, fight as a team, and respond effectively to every threat. But, there's more to soldierin' than that. You have to have loyalty, and honor, and heart. You have to depend on each other, because you won't be able to depend on any one else.

"One day, soldiers, you will leave Kamino and go to war somewhere for some glorious purpose. Others will only look at you as tools. A means to an end. But never forget that you are men. Men with purpose, passion, honor, and dignity. You are superior in every way, never forget that. In the coming days you will finish your training and begin to train others. Instill in them what it means to be a man, first and foremost, or you will find yourself with a useless fighter with no heart. Train them well, give them an identity as the greatest soldiers to have ever lived. Make them understand that they are valuable. Maybe not to others, but to you, their brothers, they are valuable."

Jango hoped that his words would have an effect on the men. He had repeated them often enough over the last several years as he watched them advance through their training. He didn't know what would be in store for these men, but he did know that as long as they dealt with each other with loyalty and honor they just might make it through. War was brewing, and when it finally hit boiling point these men would be ready.

Mettle listened to Jango's words. He had heard these words before, and believed every one of them. They weren't just throw away troops, they weren't just clones with no individuality, they were much more.

Looker felt his chest swell with pride. He had worked hard to get here. He had taken every challenge and threw everything he had at it. He had made it. They were almost at the end. In a few minutes he would be part of the first class of ARCs. After that they would be tasked with training the next batch. It would be their turn to teach.

Cut was feeling the excitement of the moment. All his life had been coming to this. He knew that soon enough he would be fighting a war somewhere, fighting alongside his brothers for the honor and safety of the galaxy. He knew it was coming and it was a day he couldn't wait to see.

Scooch didn't know what the future would hold. He didn't know if he'd be deployed next week, or next year, but he was confident that he could face anything that came his way. Whatever happened, he would be ready.

SNAFU was exceptionally proud of all he had accomplished. He was ready to fight for the Jedi, whenever they deigned to show up. He had spent long hours studying up on every kind of enemy they might face. He was sure that he and his brethren would have no trouble at all.

Thunder had only ever lived on Kamino. His love of the stormy weather had given him his name. He liked it here, but he was eager to leave. From the way Jango spoke it seemed like war might come someday soon. When the war came, then he would finally get his chance to go.

Ringer knew that their training was finished, however, he wasn't so sure they were ready. It was easy to talk about honor and courage in training, but out in the real world, on the battlefield and in the trenches, he wasn't so sure. He knew many of his squad-mates were ready to go, to fight and die, but he wasn't so sure about himself.

Tatters was sure that he would always be taken care of by his unit. They were the best, they had always looked out for each other. Listening to Jango speak about being a soldier with heart, and being worthy of his teammates made him squirm on the inside. He had doubts that he would be able to live up to the example of his peers. He worried that he might, when the time came, not be good enough for the others.

Hype shifted his eyes to either side, taking in his fellow clones. Hype hadn't lived very long, and he didn't know how long he would live once the coming war started, but he knew that out of all the clones ever decanted he was in the unit with the best of them. The Stencil had done a good job giving them what they needed to be great fighters, but it was working and living with these other men every day that had made them excellent soldiers.

Jango gave each soldier his ARC commendation. As he moved through the men he looked each one in the eye, the same eyes, each belonging to a different man. He saw the best these men were capable of, he knew that soon enough they would be caught up in the coming war. A part of him felt a twinge of regret as he looked into the innocent eyes of the clones. They had no idea what they were in for.


End file.
